art

Handprint Christmas Crafts

December 18, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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There has been a return in popularity of paper grocery bags, so why not use a few for handprint Christmas crafts? The bags are sturdy and give craft projects a vintage feel.

Here are a few festive, heart-tugging crafts that employ brown paper bags as a base.

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Handprint Heart Decorations

Cut hearts from paper grocery bags. Feel free to download this heart printable to use as a template.

Heart printable for art and craft projects.

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Heart Template Download

This printable is for personal or one classroom use only.

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Set out bright red tempera paint and a paper heart. Invite your early learner to dip a hand in the paint and make a print on the heart.

Invitation to make a red handprint on a paper bag heart.

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Or, invite your little one to paint a hand and then make the print. This takes more time, but the result is often neater.

Invitation to paint a hand to make a print on a paper bag heart.

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After the handprint heart dries, hot glue on a red bow. Then add a looped ribbon to hang the craft.

Red handprint heart craft ready for hanging.

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Offer hearts and tempera paint in white and green colors for more craft projects.

Paper bag hearts with red, green, and white handprints.

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Tip: Adding a little white to ready-made red or green paint lightens and brightens the color.

Thin pearl bead garland makes a delicate lacing material for a heart embellished with a white handprint.

Bead garland laced white handprint heart craft.

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Cut Handprint Christmas Crafts

Sometimes little ones swish their hands on the paper while making prints, and the resulting handprints can be a little messy. These can be cut out to make other Christmas crafts.

Offer sequins, metallic balls, and stars for your little learner to decorate a green handprint as a sparkly Christmas tree. Hot glue on a thin, glittery garland and a treetop star afterward.

Christmas tree handprint craft. Metallic balls, sequins, stars, and garland decorate the tree.

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Help your little one transform a red handprint into a friendly reindeer by adding wiggly eyes, pipe cleaner ears, snowflake antlers, and a pompom nose.

A red handprint turned into a friendly reindeer craft by adding snowflake antlers, wiggly eyes, pipe cleaner ears, and a pompom nose.

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Invite your early learner to turn a white handprint into an eye-catching fish ornament by gluing on sequins and adding a wiggly eye. A dusting of glitter can be applied for the finishing touch.

Handprint fish ornament embellished with sequins, glitter, and a wiggly eye.

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The sky is the limit when using paper grocery bags for handprint Christmas crafts. They make an eye-pleasing base for large or small projects. Your Christmas bits and baubles will come in handy to embellish the crafts.

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Handprint Christmas craft projects using paper bags as a base.

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Handprint Angel Craft

December 16, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Last year’s handprint angel craft was a hit with my preschool families. So this year I set out to find a glittery Christmas stem that would inspire a variation of the well-received keepsake craft. I shopped with no preconceived ideas in mind, and at the first store, a gleaming peacock-inspired stem caught my eye. I knew immediately that it was “the one” for this year’s angel craft.

In my instructions, I use the colors magenta, turquoise, and pink, and “peacock-inspired Christmas stem.” But feel free to substitute any glittery stem and complementary colors for the craft.

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Supplies To Collect

peacock-inspired Christmas stem
magenta tempera paint
pink glitter
white cardstock paper
skin-toned cardstock paper
disposable plate
glue gun
scissors
pencil or thin black felt pen

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Making The Handprint Angel

Choose a glittery peacock-inspired Christmas stem. The stem featured in this craft is turquoise and magenta, a wonderful Dollar Store find.

Magenta and blue Christmas stem with a peacock theme.

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Have your little learner make a magenta tempera paint handprint on white cardstock paper, and sprinkle pink glitter on the print while it is still wet.

Invitation to make a magenta and pink glitter handprint.

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After the handprint dries, cut it out.

Scissors to cut a painted handprint for an angel craft.

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Cut a cardstock circle about 2 ½ inches / 7 cm in diameter. Ask your little one to draw on eyes and a smile with a pencil or thin felt pen.

Snip two peacock feather-inspired angel wings and a headpiece from the Christmas stem.

Parts to glue together to make a handprint angel.

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Hot glue the wings to the back of the handprint, and the headpiece to the back of the angel face.

Then glue the head to the handprint body. Add a ribbon to hang the angel on a wall or Christmas tree. Or mount the angel on a 12-inch x 12-inch piece of paper and display.

Christmas-themed handprint angel with glittery turquoise and magenta peacock-inspired wings.

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Turquoise and magenta handprint Christmas angel craft.

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Introducing the color words “magenta” and “turquoise” add a vocabulary component to this handprint angel craft. And early learners will embrace the glittery touches.

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Related: Handcraft Angel Video Tutorial

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Christmas Dove Art

December 13, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Angels are often my “go-to” theme for a Christmas craft keepsake, but this holiday season I have doves on my brain. Doves are symbolic of peace and love, which is welcome inspiration at Christmas, or any time of the year. So here are two Christmas dove art projects that make touching keepsakes… and display beautifully. Bonus: I’ve included a free downloadable printable to use for the crafts.

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Squish Painted Dove

Create a symmetrical dove pattern or download the printable in this post to use as a template. Cut out one bird from white 8 ½ inch x 11-inch cardstock paper for each child completing the project.

Dove printable to download for a craft project.

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Dove TemplateDownload

This printable is for individual and one classroom use only.

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Set the doves out onto a table along with red and green paint and spoons.

Invitation to spatter paint paper doves with red and green paint.

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Invite your little learners to spatter paint their dove.

Spatter painted dove using green and red Christmas colors.

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Then help them fold the dove, and smooth their hand over it. Placing newspaper underneath and overtop the folded birds helps absorb excess paint.

Ask your little ones to unfold their birds. They are bound to be excited to see the art they have created.

Squish painted dove art project in red and green colors.

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After the doves dry, hot glue a sprig from a Christmas stem underneath each beak.

A sprig from a Christmas stem is the finishing touch for this squish painted red and green dove.

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Cuttings from a stem with berries, pine cones, and leaves in different tones give the doves a unique finishing touch.

Christmas stem to use as a finishing touch for festive dove art.

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Sprigs cut from one Christmas stem for a craft project.

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Displayed together on a wall as a triangle and topped with a star, the painted birds make a unique Christmas tree shape. Or mount on a complimentary patterned paper background.

Christmas dove art utilizing a squish painting technique.

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View a Squish-Painted Christmas Dove video tutorial here:

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Papercraft Christmas Dove

Supplies To Collect:

8 1/2 x 11-inch white cardstock
sturdy paper in white, green, red, and turquoise hues
12-inch x12-inch cardstock or Christmas-themed paper
flower, leaf, snowflake, and bird paper punches
glue sticks
holiday greetings
self-adhesive pearls
double-sided tape

Supplies needed to make a papercraft dove Christmas keepsake.

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Cut out white cardstock doves, and set them out on a table with glue sticks and festive paper punched shapes. I used bird, snowflake, leaf, and flower shapes in turquoise, red, and green hues. Feel free to choose your own color scheme.

Set up with adhesive pearls and snowflake, leaf, flower, and bird paper shapes to glue onto a paper dove.

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Invite your early learners to glue colorful punched shapes to their doves.

Tips:

A muffin pan works well as a shape sorter for group art.
Paper or foil Christmas scatter purchased from a store could replace the punched shapes in this craft.

A twelve cup muffin pan works well as a shape sorter for group art.

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Afterward, glue a paper punched leaf or Christmas sprig underneath each beak. Mount the birds onto 12-inch x 12-inch solid colored complimentary cardstock with a few pieces of double-sided tape for a raised look. Invite your charges to add self-adhesive pearl gems to the flowers and background paper.

Words such as Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Joy, Peace, or Noel add a seasonal greeting to the pictures.

Papercraft dove Christmas keepsake picture.

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An alternative is to mount the arty doves on Christmas-themed 12-inch x 12-inch paper.

Papercraft dove collage projects mounted on Christmas-themed backgrounds.

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Click here for a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays printable to use for a greeting in the craft.

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Holiday Greeting PrintableDownload

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These two Christmas dove art projects are sure to add a festive touch to your classroom or home. Which one is your favorite?

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Pumpkin Color Activities

November 23, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Pumpkin facts and color activities. Anatomy, color matching, and art activities.

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Although orange pumpkins are traditional, and most grocery stores focus on selling them, these dramatic fruits come in many other hues. Diversely colored pumpkins can be scouted out at farmer’s markets and garden centers in autumn. They are intriguing in pumpkin color activities for little learners.

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Pumpkin Display

First, set out pumpkins on a shelf for little ones to view. The contrasting colors make a striking display. Discuss pumpkin color, size, shape, and texture.

Pumpkins in mint, cream, black, yellow, and green colors.

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Color Matching

Move the pumpkins to a table and invite early learners to add color words.

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Pumpkin Anatomy

Display a cross-section of each variety collected, and talk about pumpkin anatomy.

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Notice that some pumpkins have larger cavities than others, and certain pumpkins contain more seeds. Study flesh colors together, and invite little learners to feel the pumpkin insides.

Black pumpkin cross-section showing pulp and seeds.

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Spider Web Crayon Rubbings

Have children do a spider web crayon rubbing on a uniquely colored paper pumpkin. A few spiders hanging around add excitement to the activity.

Crayon rubbings of spider webs on colored pumpkins. An all-ages art activity.

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Pumpkin Painting

Offer tempera paint for little ones to slather on a small pumpkin. Have everyone generously sprinkle on gold glitter for a finishing touch. The decorated pumpkins make showy take-home art, perfect for displaying on front steps or a porch.

Tempera painted pumpkins sprinkled with gold glitter.

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10 Fast Pumpkin Facts

Pumpkins are native to Mexico but have been embraced all over the world.
Pumpkin harvest season peaks in October.
Pumpkins come in various shades of orange, but can also be white, black, deep green, light green, yellow, blue, soft pink, cream, striped, or speckled.
Uniquely colored pumpkins have different purposes. White pumpkins are perfect for art projects.
Cinderella, Blue Doll, Baby Bear, Crystal Star, and Midnight Black are some of many creative pumpkin names.
Some pumpkins are smooth. Others feel rough and may have warts.
The world’s heaviest pumpkin weighed 2323 pounds.
Water makes up 90% of pumpkins.
Pumpkins are treated as a vegetable in many recipes but are actually a fruit.
Pumpkins are a source of vitamin A, C, and E, and zinc, folate, potassium, and fiber. They contain antioxidants.

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Pumpkin Vocabulary List

Download a list of pumpkin vocabulary words to use with your early learners.

Pumpkin Vocabulary ListDownload

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To get more ideas for pumpkin color activities, view a slideshow from Better Homes And Gardens entitled: Types Of Pumpkins.

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More Pumpkin Activities

Eye Dropper Pumpkin Art

Pumpkin Painting Process Art

Pumpkin Tablescape Pretend Play

Edible Playdough Pumpkins

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Collage Art

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[Read more…]

Sunflower Seed Sensory Bin Activities

November 21, 2020 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Three sunflower seed sensory bins. Dinosaurs, sunflowers, pumpkins, sand toys, and loose parts are highlights of the bins.

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A sunflower seed sensory bin is a fantastic way for early learners to explore these edible seeds, and use them in play. The seed base is a natural fit for fall and pumpkin-themed accessories. Here are three sensory bin suggestions brimming with these dramatic seeds.

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Sunflower And Sand Toy Bin

Sand toys, sunflowers, and fall-themed gems in a sunflower seed sensory bin.

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Add shovels. pails, sieves, watering cans, leaf gems, round fall-themed gems, and craft sunflowers in different sizes and colors to a sunflower seed base. This bin works well as a spring gardening center. Or extend summer into fall by offering the bin to your little learners in September.

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Pumpkin And Sunflower Seed Sensory Bin

Pumpkin-themed loose parts and sunflowers shine in this sunflower seed sensory bin. Spiders and mice add fun to the tray.

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Rubber mice and spider gems liven up this pumpkin and sunflower seed sensory bin. Other items in this sure to delight bin are:

craft sunflowers in different sizes and colors
pumpkin gems
pumpkin ice cubes
leaf gems
orange, black, and clear gems
black and orange cups
pumpkin-shaped dish
pumpkin cookie cutters
orange spoon

Fall-themed tinker tray with sunflowers, mice, spiders, gems, and pumpkin loose parts.

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Dinosaur And Sunflower Sensory Bin

Dinosaurs and sunflowers may seem like an unlikely combination. The inspiration for this bin came from viewing Lewis Lavoie’s stunning works of art entitled “Sunflower Beast”, and “Sunflower Bed.”

Easy to put together sunflower seed sensory bin with sunflowers and dinosaurs.

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The bin was introduced to my preschoolers a few years back. I made sure there was a stegosaurus or two in the mix. The children had a blast playing with dinosaurs, sunflowers, and loose parts in the seedy base. Your early learners would embrace this bin too.

Below, a volcanic mountain adds interest to the play.

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Note: For these sunflower seed sensory bin activities, I used striped sunflower seeds. I purchased two 7.5 lb bags at a local pet store, which filled a large sensory table. For a smaller bin, one 7.5 lb bag would be enough.

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Which bin is your favorite? Share below in a comment.

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